Multi-tier tower press apparatuses are known in the art for producing emulsified and/or whole muscle ham, turkey, pork, beef, chicken, and other meat log products. Such meat logs are typically about 40 inches, about 48 inches, or about 60 inches in length and typically have substantially rectangular cross sectional shapes of either about 4 inches×4 inches or about 4 inches×6 inches in size.
A tower press 20 of the type heretofore known in the art is depicted in FIGS. 1–3. Tower press 20 comprises: a rectangular box frame 22 having a fixed horizontal bottom frame or other platform structure 24 and vertical corner bars or rods 26; a series of compressible, horizontal frames or other platform structures 28 slidably retained within frame corner bars 26 above bottom 24; and a plurality of platform linkage rods or bars 30 which operably link the slidable platforms 28 together.
Formed between the fixed bottom platform 24 and the slidable platforms 28 of tower press 20 are a series of compression tiers 32, each sized for receiving a row of log molds 2. A typical elongate log mold 2 employed for producing a log product having a substantially rectangular cross section is depicted in FIG. 4. Horizontal positioning bars 34 are secured to the bottoms of slidable platforms 28 for appropriately positioning and spacing the log molds 2 within tiers 32. Each of the slidable platforms 28 also has a corresponding number of elongate mold lid structures 35 secured to and projecting downwardly from the bottoms of slidable platforms 28. Lid structures 35 are sized and positioned such that, when the tower press tiers 32 are compressed, the lid structures 35 will project into the open tops 4 of the log molds 2 to thereby compress the bagged or cased meat material contained therein.
As will be understood by those skilled in the art, each of the platform linkage rods 30 is typically connected between an adjacent pair of slidable platforms 28 in a manner effective for (a) allowing the platforms 28 to be urged downwardly in a compressive manner such that the space between the platforms 28 is reduced and (b) allowing the slidable platforms to be pulled upwardly to noncompressed positions wherein the platforms are spaced a sufficient distance apart to allow the log molds 2 to be received in and removed from the compression tiers 32. To accommodate this movement of the slidable platforms 28 between their compressed and noncompressed positions, the top or bottom end of each platform linkage rod 30 will typically be secured in a fixed manner to one slidable platform 28 and the other end of the linkage rod 30 will be attached to an adjacent platform 28 in a manner allowing sufficient limited sliding movement of the linkage rod 30 through the adjacent tray to permit the two trays to move closer together when urged downward.
In using tower press 20 to produce meat logs, appropriately sized bags or casings filled with emulsified and/or whole muscle meat material are typically placed in the elongate molds 2. The molds 2 are then placed within the multiple stacked tiers 32 of the tower press apparatus 20 and the tiers 32 are compressed vertically together to press the meat material within the molds 2.
In order to compress the slidable platforms 28 of tower press 20, it has heretofore been necessary to transport the tower press 20 to and place the tower press 20 inside a compression frame or similar device 40 of the type depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. When tower press 20 is positioned within compression frame 40, the slidable platforms 28 thereof can be pushed downward using a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 42 and an associated compression and lifting hook 44. Next, a forklift, a pallet truck, or similar device is typically used to remove the compressed tower apparatus from the compression frame and convey the compressed apparatus to a hot water bath, a steam cooker, or other cooking system. Later, when it is time to remove the cooked log products, it has been necessary to carry the tower press 20 back to the compression frame apparatus 40 in order to lift the tower platforms 28 to their noncompressed positions.
As will be apparent, the tower press apparatuses used heretofore have been cumbersome, awkward, and difficult to load, unload, compress, decompress, and carry from station to station. These difficulties and problems can also create significant safety and ergonomic concerns. In addition, the systems used for cooking food product logs pressed within tower press apparatuses have been required to be large walk-in-type units or other systems sized and equipped for delivering and removing the tower presses using forklifts, pallet trucks, or similar devices.
Thus, a need presently exists for a more effective, more efficient, more economical, quicker, more ergonomic, and safer tower press apparatus and method for pressing and cooking meat logs and other food log products. A need particularly exists for a tower press system wherein the tower press loading, unloading, compression, cooking, and decompression operations are conducted at a single location and it is not necessary to transport the apparatus from station-to-station. A need also exists for a tower press apparatus capable of employing less costly, more effective, and more efficient systems for cooking the food log products compressed within the tower. Further, a need exists for an economical, efficient, and effective system for chilling the cooked food product logs without unloading the tower press and without transporting the tower press to another location.